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These cookies are perfect for the holiday season! You could bring them to your next Christmas party and no one would even know they are healthy (I like to call it stealth health)! These cookies are packed with healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals…what a deceptive little cookie ;) To make them even more exciting they take less than 10 min to make and will store for weeks!

I highly recommend these for chocolate mint fanatics, like myself. Just make sure to spread out the extract well, if it doesn’t get totally mixed throughout the other ingredients it can be really strong tasting. If you’re not a big mint fan just skip the mint extract or replace it with a different flavored extract instead.I bet coconut or orange would be good!

Raw Dark Chocolate (Mint) Cookies

1 teaspoon mint extract (replace with a different flavored extract if preferred, or omit)

⅛ teaspoon salt

shredded coconut

Blend all of the ingredients, except the coconut, in a food processor until the mixture is in fine crumbs (it will start to clump) and is very sticky. Remove heaping 1-tablespoon bits of the mixture, form into balls and roll in the coconut.

Store in the refrigerated in an airtight container. They will keep for several weeks…but be gobbled up before then!

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Chili or stew? What’s the difference? … Chili is a type of stew made with beans!

When I made this recipe I thought it should be called a stew not a chili but I guess, technically, it is a chili! Anyways, call it whatever you want, either way it is absolutely delicious!

At first I thought this recipe sounded a bit odd, but I have a bit of an addiction to butternut squash (it is the BEST pureed into the sauce for Mac & Cheese) so I had to try it. I also happen to love coconut milk, but I never thought of putting them together! What an epiphany (definitely had to look up how to spell that).

1 tbsp red curry paste (or a little more if you really like it!)
salt and pepper to taste

Topping

fresh cilantro

Greek yogurt/sour cream

green onions

feta cheese

Directions:

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, saute the onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil until softened, and a little browned.

Add the ground turkey (if using) and garlic, breaking it up with a spoon until it’s cooked through and slightly browned.

Add the squash, apple, chili powder and cumin, continuing to stir and cook for a few minutes until fragrant, then stir in the broth, coconut milk, beans, quinoa, salsa, tomato paste, curry paste, salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and the mixture is thick (if you want it thicker cook it longer – but keep in mind you will be reheating leftovers and don’t want it to turn to mush!)

Top with toppings and serve with a side salad …or even better, fresh made bread for scooping.

Slow-cooker directions: Cook the turkey, then toss all the ingredients except the toppings into the slow cooker and simmer on low for 6 hours.

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Frozen, black bananas flying out at me every time I open the freezer is a clear sign that it’s time to make banana bread.

I have made some pretty good banana bread lately but this one is my favorite! I love the tropical flavors of the banana and the coconut together. Coconut is a source of fiber, protein, phosphorus and vitamin B6.

Coconut’s/coconut oil’s nutritional value is a bit of a controversial topic. Some say it’s nutritional gold, while others strongly disagree. Here’s a good article on the topic.

To make this bread into more of a treat add chopped dark chocolate and roasted pecans or coat it with a lime/lemon glaze (1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1.5 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon/lime juice).